November 2, 1999
Web posted at: 3:16 a.m. EST (0816 GMT)

From Correspondent Virginia Nicolaidis

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration says the 565 airports it regulates have reported no problems in their ability to meet safety requirements during the Year 2000 computer rollover.

Information about the readiness and compliance of airports, individual airliners and air traffic control systems in the U.S. and abroad is available on the Department of Transportation's website starting Tuesday.

To receive the FAA's stamp of approval, airports and air carriers must assure their computers are Y2K compliant or that they have alternative means to guarantee safety.

Airports must, for example, have contingency plans for manually controlling access to sensitive areas such as ramps and terminals, the FAA's Associate Administrator for Civil Aviation Security Irish Flynn, says.

Flynn says some airports may be forced to lock doors, post guards or require ID checks in sensitive areas.

Louise Maillet, Acting Associate Administrator for Airports, says the information about domestic and international airports included on the website has not been "verified" by the FAA.

She says the information comes from the International Civil Aviation Organization and is "as good as we can get."

Maillet says air travelers "have to use their own good judgment in determining their travel plans, especially internationally."

Letters are being sent this week to the 650 air carriers which have not yet responded to the FAA's request for Y2K compliance information. They are primarily small carriers and comprise less than two percent of the flying public.

The DOT/FAA website includes a disclaimer that says in part "The DOT/FAA does not guarantee that the information provided on this web site is complete, accurate or timely, and does not accept responsibility or liability for any loss or damages that may arise from its use."

Maillet warns that there may be some disruptions in the Y2K rollover that are not security related. To highlight the FAA's confidence in the system, she says the FAA administrator will be flying during the rollover.

Flynn says air travelers should feel "very secure" that the systems and programs that ensure their security will be operating properly and that alternative measures are in place if they do not.

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